Why and How Should Open Source Projects Adopt Time-Based Releases?

Traditional release strategies have a number of associated problems, which can be overcome by time-based release management. We present findings from interviews with key members of seven prominent volunteer-based open source projects, all of which have adopted a time-based release strategy. We discuss the importance of release planning, the numerous challenges that can result from a lack of such planning, and the benefits of time-based releases. Finally, we discuss how an open source project can adopt a time-based release strategy.